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5. Run a PR.

A PR doesn’t always have to happen at a goal race that you put down on your calendar months ago. And that potentially means that, even without too much specific fine-tuning, you might find yourself in the best running shape of your life at some point this summer and pop off a personal best when you least expect it.

By running a 5K to half marathon midway through your training cycle, you not only get a great all-out workout that stokes your competitive fire, you also get a huge confidence boost (especially if you approach or set a PR). You might consider tapering a bit before a key race to ensure maximum results, but you could always use your non-key races to kick off a weekend of high-intensity training.

Brian Metzler

Brian Metzler is the editor-in-chief of Competitor magazine. He has run more than 60,000 miles in his life, tested more than 1,200 pairs of running shoes, raced every distance from 50 yards to 100 miles and completed two Ironman triathlons. Email him at bmetzler@competitorgroup.com.